COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY CASE STUDY IN SURREY

Keeping Operations Up and Running for a Communications Facility

A large communication company recently found itself in need of a power upgrade at a facility in British Columbia, to boost electric-utility service to 800 amps, up from 600 amps. Keeping operations online during this extensive project was a critical element for planners, as any outage would impact a large percentage of Western Canadian customers. Fortunately, they turned to Trinity Power for a solution that kept the facility up and running and helped the company’s bottom line.

This company provides wireless communication, cable TV, telephone and Internet services across Canada, and meeting the needs of millions of customers was pushing electricity demand to capacity limits at the facility. The company made a request to BC Hydro to boost their electrical service to 800 amps, but the utility company determined the plan could take up to 6 months to complete, during which time the site would need to operate off-grid.

As one of the country’s largest temporary power providers, Trinity Power was an obvious partner for a project of this size. Our power experts were called in to evaluate the option of a temporary diesel generator. But once on-site, we determined that a temporary substation, connected to the grid, would be a more reliable and affordable solution.

Trinity Power took the lead in designing and executing the project, working closely with local contractors and engineering firms, as well as BC Hydro personnel. Our responsibilities included permitting and engineering, along with managing the nuts and bolts of site logistics, temporary fencing and placement of a temporary pole for the substation.

That the substation was in place and commissioned to meet all CEC requirements by BC Hydro’s deadline was no surprise – that’s just the kind of service Trinity Power customers have come to expect. But Trinity’s substation also had a direct – and positive – impact to the communication company’s bottom line, saving approximately $800,000 in diesel fuel costs over its 6-month installation. Plus, unlike a diesel generator, it won’t have to be de-energized for servicing at any point in the project